Capitol View: February 15, 2011 Archive

House Tax Chair sets up distinction with Dayton on Taxes

Posted at 8:30 AM on February 15, 2011 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Governor Mark Dayton will release his budget plan today at 10:30 and it's expected to include a new income tax rate on Minnesota's top earners. At the same time of the news conference, GOP Rep. Greg Davids of Preston will be holding a hearing on bill in the House Tax Committee that will let Minnesotans voluntarily contribute money to the state treasury.

"Well, that's interesting how that scheduled out here," Davids said. "I think it's very timely because we will allow people in this state to contribute if they want to."

The bill would require the Revenue Department to include a line on the tax form that either allows filers to contribute part of their refund or increase their required contribution to the state.

Davids, who says Dayton's tax plan will go nowhere in his committee, says his bill is aimed to those who tell him they want to pay more in taxes. And he admitted that there a few more than he would have thought that have made the request.

"I'm not saying a million have come to me but over a hundred have come and said 'We want to pay more in taxes"," Davids said. "I say 'God Bless you,' write the check out and send it here."

Davids said those who usually tell him they want their taxes raised also want the state government to raise taxes on everyone else. Something he says he won't do this year.

Davids says he doesn't expect the voluntary contribution to erase the $6.2 billion budget deficit. It's also unlikely to generate as much as Dayton's income tax plan.

Comment on this post